NavVis has launched NavVis IVION Core, a reality capture platform for management of 3D scans with intuitive tools for creation, collaboration and publication. Previously known as NavVis IndoorViewer, NavVis IVION Core makes mobile mapping workflows more efficient, speeds up model creation and delivery, and adds value to data, the company said.
“NavVis IVION Core represents the future of reality capture software,” said Lisa Cali, head of Product Web and Cloud at NavVis. “We want to offer our users a next-generation platform that not only transforms their mobile mapping workflows but also extends them so that they can do more with their spatial data.”
With all the existing features of NavVis IndoorViewer, such as point cloud downloads and virtual measurements, NavVis IVION Core offers a refreshed look and new features and improvements.
Enhancements are expressly designed to support laser scanning service providers, surveyors and AEC companies. These include multi-site functionality, updated user management, and site coordinate systems for survey-grade geo-registration of data.
Multiple sites, one space. The multi-site functionality means users are able to host multiple sites, including several buildings, in one instance. The new home screen displays a map view with markers showing the location of each site. It’s easy to navigate and provides the user with a clear overview of each site or project across the globe, with quick switching between sites from the central dashboard. Each site has a unique website address and user permissions, providing complete control over site usage.
Updated user management system. This improvement gives users more clarity and control over their projects. Admins can grant specific access and permissions for each site and get an overview of the permissions of each user. From an editor to a visitor, accessibility and permissions can now be set easily and viewed clearly from one instance.
Site coordinate system. Users can now enter the latitude and longitude or a custom spatial reference system, allowing for survey-grade geo-registration of data. Selecting a site coordinate system also ensures that data is aligned to the exact location of a site, making it easier and faster to upload and download data.
The physical and digital world are integrating. We are nearing the edge of the analog universe. Physical immersion is giving way to virtual immersion. It is the virtualization of products and services in the evolution of technology. Michael Saylor calls it the sixth wave of software engineering. We are moving away from externally experiencing data and are moving towards actively interfacing with data directly in virtual space.
“You can Zoom anywhere at the speed of light and bend time and space.” — Michael Saylor
The world of tomorrow is already here. We are waking up to it. The blips of information at the fringes are coming nearer. The horizons of time are as far as one can see into the future and the past. How far can you see? From wherever you are there are others who can see a little further. Look forward. Look back. Others are ahead and behind. They exist where time is most comfortable for them. Some take up positions living in the past. Some stake their place as far into the future as they are able. Look towards those early adopters. Ask them what they think. They see more clearly the blips of information out on the horizon.
What are those blips? How will they impact the geospatial community? How can you position yourself to take advantage of the coming trends?
America needs to go back to work and America’s infrastructure is old and in disrepair. In 2019, Congress introduced H.R.4687, the SMART Infrastructure Act, a $2 trillion bill but it never made it out of the House. However, that bill is being reintroduced. This time it will become a bill putting America back to work and its price tag will likely eclipse the previous bill. It will address infrastructure — all types of infrastructure: physical, data, cybersecurity, health, financial, transportation, energy, and communications. It will be a primary theme for the next two decades. Get ready! Change can happen fast and it’s about to accelerate.
“The future happens slowly and then all at once.” — Kevin Kelly
Rebuilding this infrastructure will require geospatial technologies. STEM has been the siren call for the past 30 years and for good reason. Those who heeded the call and invested their education into coding, engineering, data science, geospatial technologies, mathematics, artificial intelligence, and other STEM related fields are going to lead the coming workforce. Now is the time to get certified and establish your credentials.
Take the case of architectural design and construction. It used to be blueprints drawn on light tables. That is how I learned to do it back in the 1970s. Then it all moved to computer aided design (CAD) drawings. Now, urban planners and architects create immersive 3D virtual reality (VR) visualizations. That is becoming standard practice.
Project managers used to spend their day making their rounds walking the site ensuring the project was being built to specifications. However, that is changing. Soon, each worker’s safety glasses will have built-in augmented reality (AR). They will build their portion of a project exactly to plan. Project managers will connect with workers in the field and see the project they are working on progress in real-time while in their office on 3D models.
When the project manager does walk the site he or she will be wearing augmented reality (AR) head-up displays and able to compare the physical construction to the digital model in real-time. Backhoe and excavator operators will grade to exact precision. Robots will be common at construction sites assisting operations and enhancing current capabilities. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) will fly regular patterns over construction sites. Heavy-lift UAVs will supplement cranes for some operations. Subsurface structures, whether buried beneath the ground or behind a wall will be digitized with precise location data making future replacements and repairs swift and easy. The uses of geospatially dependent technologies will continue to grow. The construction worker of tomorrow will be very different than the one of today.
Photo: Trimble
The new infrastructure will be built with smart technologies and incorporate renewables and “green energy” initiatives with a responsible approach to sustainability; for example, roadways will have embedded peizo-electric crystals in the asphalt to generate electricity from passing vehicles. The electricity will charge batteries that will power smart sensors embedded in the street and provide power to street lights with sensors and 5G networks along the roadways. Excess power will transfer to other microgrids for use elsewhere. Energy will also come from capturing wind on top and along the sides of buildings, along roadways, and at tunnel exits and entrances. Thermocouples will capture heat and generate electricity.
Solar power will be generated from panels, windows, films, and even paint surfaces. All of these sources together will feed into microgrids. Some of this renewable energy will convert water to hydrogen for fuel cells, and some will power carbon dioxide (CO2) converters to extract CO2 from the atmosphere and create synthetic fuels. In 2010, Sunexus submitted a geospatial study of the solar reforming process to the Office of Scientific & Technical Information (OSTI). The study showed that nearly 58% of industrial CO2 waste from power plants, cement plants, ethanol production, and natural gas processing could be converted to synthetic diesel fuel.
Image: U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Besides energy, other smart materials will be used such as small sensors that are geospatially sensitive nanodevices embedded in roads, bridges, tunnels, buildings and other structures. They are wirelessly connected to one another creating a 3D mesh network. These nanodevices continuously report their structural health. This 3D mesh network can detect vibrations passing through it that cause distortions in the mesh framework.
Geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI) will profile devices based on their normal statistical ranges. If any data such as location, temperature, humidity, pressure, acoustics or health status exceed the device’s standard deviation the GeoAI will analyze surrounding nodes in the mesh network to depict patterns. Suspect events will immediately come to the attention of emergency services. These microdevices can provide early detection of cracks in a structure or deterioration of a surface protection layer.
The use of these devices extends beyond structural monitoring. More broadly, they have societal applications too, such as for security purposes. When fitted with acoustic sensors they can detect sounds, and by geospatially analyzing the data from many thousands of devices the epic center of a noise event can immediately be located. Take for example a gun shot, fireworks, an explosion, or a vehicle accident. The increased acoustic signal would trigger the GeoAI monitoring the devices to plot a spatial analysis of the acoustic report. The map would alert area would flash red on the monitor at the control center and nearby cameras would zoom in on the location providing images and live video feeds all within moments of the triggering event. The analysts at the control center could immediately assess the situation and dispatch the proper response units.
Embedded devices also serve as seismic sensors blanketing broad areas and are able to record surface vibrations moving through the mesh network. An earthquake would appear as a moving wave field along the network.
Additionally, data from the mesh network can integrate with other devices. It can provide smartphones with precise location data. Imagine no longer standing on a street corner turning in circles trying to figure out which way to go. When connected with the mesh network and looking through AR glasses or the smartphone view screen the path will be illuminated. Autonomous vehicles will connect with the mesh network and have absolute positional accuracy and have awareness of other vehicles, bikes, and pedestrians ensuring a more safe and efficient experience for everyone.
The mesh network can be used as a base layer for georeferencing the world. Notifications, warnings and requests for information can be sent to smartphones within an exact georeferenced location. Imagine being in your third-floor apartment sitting in your chair, listening to music on your headphones and reading an ebook. You are oblivious to the noise outside. An audible alert is sent to your phone and calls your attention. You look at your phone and a message is requesting information related to a possible gunshot at DD°MM’SS.sss N, DD°MM’SS.sss W. You click on the notification and a map opens up. You see it is right outside your window. You go to the window, look outside and see two people duck into a car. You watch as red tail lights drive away. You look back at the location on the street where the vehicle had been and a person is slumped over leaning against a stairwell.
On your phone you press the red alert button on the map application triggering a distress signal and confirming the incident may have been a gunshot and someone has possibly been injured. Emergency services immediately dispatch. Others nearby received the same alert message because it was automatically generated and sent out to all phone numbers within the area defined by the geospatial acoustic solution. Surveillance cameras on the corner of buildings were also triggered by the alert and automatically focused on the origin of the noise. Images of the assailants were captured along with the license plate of the vehicle. As the vehicle drove away a network of surveillance cameras continued following it turn by turn until it was finally intercepted and the occupants apprehended.
This world is nearer than it seems. The technologies are already here. Once the infrastructure bill is passed construction projects will begin and our physical world will begin to integrate with the digital world. The engineers design it. The construction workers and robots will build it. And it will be geospatial technologies holding it all together.
William Tewelow works for the Federal Aviation Administration. He is a graduate of the FAA management fellowship program. He served on special assignment to the U.S. Department of Transportation leading a national strategic geospatial initiative for the White House Open Data Partnership. He is a Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP) and a speaker for the Maryland STEMnet Scholar program. He was among the first in the nation to earn a Geospatial Specialist Certification from the U.S. Department of Labor while working at NASA Stennis Space Center. He has degrees in Geographic Information Technology, Intelligence Studies, and is completing a masters degree in Organizational Management. William is a 23 year veteran for the U.S. Navy serving as a Geospatial Specialist, Imagery Intelligence Specialist, a Naval Aviator, a Meteorologist, and a Tactical Oceanographer. He is married, enjoys writing and traveling. His favorite quote is, “A man’s mind changed by a new idea can never go back to its original dimension.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes
Free-to-use maps from more than 40 European countries will be made available through a new online gateway.
Open Maps for Europe will signpost and provide easy access to pan-European open data created using official map, geospatial and land information.
The project, which is co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility of the European Union, is coordinated by EuroGeographics, the voice of European National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities, in partnership with the National Geographic Institute (NGI) Belgium.
Users will be able to access the data, created by the not-for-profit membership association, through an online interface developed by thinkWhere. The specialist in open source geographic information system (GIS) technologies will deliver the enhanced gateway for discovering, viewing, licensing and downloading the open datasets after winning an open tender.
The open data will include topographic data, a digital elevation model, imagery, a cadastral index map, and a regional gazetteer. The first maps are expected to be available in summer 2021.
“As the official national sources of map, cadastral and land information, our members’ data is fundamental to the everyday lives of people across Europe,”said Angela Baker, program manager, Data Access and Integration, EuroGeographics. “We may not always realise it, but their authoritative information underpins our public services, provides certainty of property ownership and helps to save precious time and potentially save lives when responding to emergencies. In an ever-connected world, it is also increasingly used in a wide range of applications relied upon by both citizens and businesses.”
“The Open Data Directive recognises that the value of data lies in its use and re-use. By providing easy access to free to use harmonised maps for Europe, our members want to boost the development of these innovative services. Their aim is to encourage greater use of their official geospatial data to drive market development and economic growth, and increase competitiveness by reducing costs.
“By working to ensure their data is interoperable, readily available and easily accessible, they are demonstrating a commitment to delivering Open Maps for Europe both now and in the future.”
Alan Moore, Chief Executive, thinkWhere added: “We are delighted to be working with EuroGeographics and its members on the Open Maps for Europe project where the primary aim is to drive up the use of official geospatial and open data.”
“Our mission is to make geographic data highly accessible, easy to use and an essential part of your information architecture. Collaborating with EuroGeographics and its members we will harness the power of our cloud-based geospatial data infrastructure and drive the development of a user-centric portal that makes it easy to find, view, publish and share the rich suite of pan European digital mapping, cadastral and topographic datasets.”
Open Maps for Europe runs until Dec. 31, 2022.
EuroGeographics is an international not-for-profit organization and the membership association for the European National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registry Authorities. It brings together members from 46 countries, covering the whole of geographical Europe.
Release follows $1 billion Innovyze acquisition announcement by Autodesk
Water infrastructure software company Innovyze has released Info360.com, a cloud-based, artificial intelligence-powered platform for real-world water lifecycle management.
Combined with Info360 Insight, a data visualization and workflow solution, the platform enables dynamic digital twins for the water industry.
Dynamic Digital Twins are virtual models of real-world assets and systems that can learn and adapt to changing circumstances. Built upon Amazon Web Services (AWS), Info360.com is uniquely designed to support Dynamic Digital Twins by gathering and unifying asset information, connecting live and historic performance data to Innovyze as well as third-party applications.
Autodesk Inc. announced March 1 it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Portland, Oregon-based Innovyze for $1 billion net of cash subject to working capital and tax closing adjustments. Autodesk’s digital-twin strategy creates a clearer path to a more sustainable and digitized water industry, the company said.
This context-aware platform can predict future performance using synchronized computational models that become more intelligent as they’re used. Info360.com provides recommended best-case actions that can help water utilities maintain the highest levels of service, capacity and efficiency.
Due to water system complexity and static operating budgets, many water utilities have struggled to adopt the digital transformation technologies that would allow them to improve predictability and performance. Using the power of the cloud, Info360.com is financially and operationally more accessible, powerful and flexible than traditional on-premise systems.
“The complex, physical properties of water and massive, underground infrastructure that must be monitored and managed make digitization extremely challenging for water utilities,” said Colby Manwaring, Chief Executive Officer at Innovyze. “We’ve combined 35 years of expertise in water management with the power of the cloud to bridge the data and technology gaps that have kept water utilities from truly capitalizing on Digital Twins with our new Info360.com platform. This is a game-changer in making digital transformation achievable for water utilities of any size.”
The new Info360 Insight SaaS application provides utilities with customizable dashboards and KPIs that track and visualize the real-time performance of the entire water distribution system. Performance data can be used and analyzed for daily operations, such as pipe break detection and water loss. The same data can also be used to plan for future maintenance and capacity fluctuations, with seamless integration into the hydraulic model.
“Info360 Insight is the first of several SaaS applications we’re delivering for the Info360.com platform, all offering advantages to utilities like easy onboarding, infinite scalability, and rigorous security out of the box,” said Rick Gruenhagen, CTO at Innovyze. “Better yet, the Info360 platform architecture incorporates cutting-edge technologies like predictive analytics and artificial intelligence tuned specifically for the water lifecycle, allowing utilities of all sizes to stay at the forefront of innovation without the need to maintain complex software or hire hordes of IT experts. As a result, utilities will have the technology foundation they need to deliver the highest possible service at the lowest possible cost.”
Info360 Insight provides real-time ingestion and analysis of SCADA data, along with 24/7 event monitoring, enabling utilities to detect incidents within their infrastructure. The system can check multiple resolution scenarios and apply recommended actions to resolve the failure as quickly as possible — ensuring a higher level of service and reliability.
In the latest edition of this classroom textbook, Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop 10.8 guides students and professionals through the fundamentals of making maps and analyzing data using the latest Esri ArcGIS Desktop software.
The comprehensive, hands-on tutorial, moves readers from basic GIS concepts to sophisticated GIS analysis. Readers gain practical knowledge about ArcGIS Desktop tools and functionality. Exercises address querying map data, making map layouts, symbolizing and labeling maps, setting map projections, creating and sharing web maps, building and editing geodatabases, and analyzing geospatial data.
Data for completing the exercises and a 180-day free trial of ArcGIS are also available for download.
Auterion, an open-source drone software platform provider, has partnered with C2 Group — a program, project and construction management firm — to power the use of drones for inspection, mapping and disaster response across the utilities and critical infrastructure industries.
The collaboration has been formed after C2 Group conducted extensive testing of the Vantage Robotics Vesper drone powered by Auterion to inspect power lines at its UAS testing ground and assess viability within the utilities space.
Auterion and C2 Group have seen a shift in the utility industry to move away from drones manufactured overseas to focus on the adoption of U.S.-made products such as the Vesper, a Blue sUAS-certified product used by the U.S. military.
Features on the Vesper that the utilities industry can use include high-quality sensors and thermal capabilities, while its stability and lightweight design make it rapidly deployable.
Utilizing the data security, quality and flexibility enabled by Auterion across multiple UAS manufacturers means C2 Group pilots can be trained on one flight platform but fly any drone associated with it; reducing the training time and increasing overall productivity. Further productivity measures are achieved with Auterion’s Suite used to identify pilot efficiencies and its Simulator to augment pilot training. At the same time C2, with its industry knowledge having worked with multiple major utilities in the US, is providing insight that is helping to shape Auterion’s roadmap for new sensors and airframes into the future.
Brandon Del Priore, CTO at C2 Group, said: “We are proud to partner with Auterion to bring some of the best technology developed in the US to our clients in the utilities and critical infrastructure industries. When safety, data security, and data quality matter most, C2 Group will be there to offer customers the same US-made hardware and software used by the DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit and the US military. The open source ecosystem is helping to drive a better footprint within the marketplace and a better level of compatibility for US made products.”
Cynthia Huang, VP Enterprise Business Development at Auterion, said: “With DJI added to the entity list, we’re seeing enterprise drone operators accelerate their search for alternatives. Auterion’s open source software ecosystem provides more options, more solutions, and faster development timelines to the needs being identified today and companies are embracing the power of our approach. We are excited to partner with C2 Group to bring US made solutions and the advantages of open source to their customers.”
For more information, visit www.auterion.com/enterprise
SPH Engineering has released a UgCS update, adding support for the DJI M300 commercial drone. UgCS supports all flight planning patterns of the DJI M300, such as photogrammetry, corridor mapping and facade inspections.
UgCS allows to manage the following route parameters: speed, altitude, heading, camera attitude, camera triggering modes (by time, and by distance), turn types (Stop & Turn or Adaptive Bank turn).
“It also supports video recording in full-motion video format,” said Alexei Yankelevich, head of software development at SPH Engineering. “The drone is smart and safe, equipped with various cameras and sensors.
UgCS support for DJI M300 cameras covers:
displaying videos from both FPV and main camera (H20/H20T) on the UgCS for DJI screen;
switching between main camera lenses: wide, zoom, thermal (for H20T);
changing general settings of the active lens;
manual camera triggering in all modes (wide/zoom/thermal)
video recording
‘We have tested DJI M300 in various scenarios and can confirm that it can be used in extreme weather scenarios,” Yankelevich said, “including low temperatures while battery capacities are significantly improved.”
The most awaited improvement is Waypoints 2.0 which allows users to create up to 65,535 waypoints and set multiple actions for one or more payloads. This improvement is crucial for UgCS as it allows the drone to fly long routes in terrain- following mode with UgCS.
A major geospatial conference encompassing previous annual conferences is scheduled for 2022.
The AEC Next Technology Expo & Conference, International Lidar Mapping Forum and SPAR 3D Expo & Conference will unite as one show. The new Geo Week show will also encompass partners U.S. Institute of Building Documentation (USIBD) and American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS).
Geo Week, which takes place Feb. 6-8, 2022, in Denver, will bring together the best of 3D technology for the built world, geospatial applications and more. The joining of the events reflects the increased integration between the built environment, advanced airborne/terrestrial technologies and commercial 3D technologies, according to organizers.
Geo Week will provide education, technology and resources for professionals in industries including AEC (architecture, engineering and construction), asset and facility management, disaster and emergency response, Earth observation and satellite applications, energy and utilities, infrastructure and transportation, land and natural resource management, mining and aggregates, surveying and mapping, and urban planning/smart cities.
“We’ve witnessed the growing convergence between geospatial and the built world, and we received positive feedback from customers about holding the events together, which had been the plan for 2020 and 2021 before the pandemic forced us to cancel due to the unavoidable consequence of the worsening magnitude of the public health and safety issues caused by the COVID-19,” said Lee Corkhill, marketing director at Diversified Communications.
“We believe the market is ready and eager for this next step of leveraging the confluence of what are becoming ubiquitous technologies for improved collaboration, increased efficiency, and better outcomes,” Corkhill continued. “Much of the conference content and technology being showcased will reflect and support this increasing integration.”
Blue Marble Geographics has released version 22.1 of Global Mapper, a GIS application that provides both novice and experienced geospatial professionals with a comprehensive array of spatial data processing tools.
Globe Mapper provides access to a variety of data formats and includes numerous spatial analysis tools at a genuinely affordable price.
The version 22.1 release includes enhancements to the software’s 3D Viewer including, a new Save 3D Views function and 3D View navigation tools to target the camera on specific features and lock the pivot axis around a feature of interest.
The data graphing and charting feature has been updated with support for creating graphs from multiple layers, and several new spatial operations functions have been added, including Union and Difference. As with previous releases, numerous new data formats are now supported including, support for exporting to COG (Cloud-Optimized GeoTiff) format and importing of IFC (Buildings) and GeoSLAM files.
“Every release of Global Mapper demonstrates Blue Marble’s commitment to continually expanding our software,” said Patrick Cunningham, Blue Marble President and CEO. “Version 22.1 includes countless improvements throughout the software but especially in 3D visualization and analysis, reflecting the rapidly increasing importance of 3D mapping.”
Blue Marble Application Specialists will be conducting a live webinar on Global Mapper v22.1 on March 3. During the hour-long presentation, scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. (U.S. Eastern Time), attendees will see the latest tools in action and will have the opportunity to ask questions about the new functionality. Registration is required.
NV5 Geospatial, powered by Quantum Spatial, has launched INSITE, a comprehensive cloud-based platform that enables users to more efficiently and cost-effectively manage their geospatial data, from acquisition to delivery.
With applications designed for electric utilities and telecommunications, as well as federal, state and local governments, INSITE provides tools to support the entire geospatial data lifecycle, including project tracking, data collection and delivery, quality control, on-demand reporting, analytics and enterprise integration, the company said.
Screenshot: NV5 Geospatial
INSITE also enables users to import, search, analyze, manage, integrate and export all types of geospatial data and multimedia. According to NV5 Geospatial, as a cloud-based platform, INSITE improves speed and efficiency, minimizes storage expenses and supports greater collaboration by eliminating the use of standalone hard drives or a dedicated computer.
“Location-based data is critical for business and governments when it comes to managing risk, lowering costs, forecasting work and maintaining compliance,” said Mark Abatto, president and COO of NV5 Geospatial. “Yet there are numerous technical and organizational barriers that prevent them from optimizing use of this information. INSITE was purpose-built to break down these barriers, creating a single source of truth for all geospatial data within an organization. Now, with INSITE, distributed teams can collaborate more effectively, visualize data with ease and gain real-time insights through powerful analytics.”
According to the company, the INSITE platform is the foundation of three primary categories of use: the INSITE Lifecycle, INSITE Core, and INSITE Facility and Pole Manager.INSITE Lifecycle provides visibility into project status through a web-based map with real-time tracking of data from acquisition through processing and delivery, while INSITE Core enables data visualization and interaction, including access to aerial imagery, lidar data, GIS layers, and more. Lastly, INSITE provides the basis for industry-specific applications, including INSITE Facility and INSITE Pole Manager. INSITE Facility provides configurable asset management, including planning, execution and tracking for inspections and maintenance on any asset and facility, and INSITE Pole Manager enables electric utilities to take advantage of automated pole modeling analytics that support joint use, clearance and integrity analysis programs.
NV5 Geospatial will host a live launch webinar on Feb. 18 to provide an overview of INSITE. Register for the webinar here.
TCarta Marine has introduced a Global Satellite Derived Bathymetry (G-SDB) product line developed with a new seafloor depth measurement technique that leverages Machine Learning and NASA ICESat-2 laser data. According to the company, this G-SDB offering covers the entire Red Sea, with additional sets rolled out through the end of this year.
The commercial TCarta G-SDB data sets and the seafloor measurement workflow that produces them were made possible through a Small Business Innovation Research Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
According to TCarta, G-SDB data sets contain bathymetric measurements to depths of more than 30 meters, depending on water clarity, at 10-meter resolution. The depth values for every 10-meter pixel are the combined result of numerous measurements, resulting in accuracy within 10% of depth or less, and providing a seamless water bottom surface map. G-SDB will be available globally for all oceans and seas, as well as large freshwater lakes where water conditions permit.
“The new satellite-derived bathymetry technology extracts seafloor measurements by integrating multiple SDB algorithms and sensor types at scale and over broad geographic areas with a degree of confidence in data accuracy not previously possible,” said TCarta president Kyle Goodrich.
TCarta launched Project Trident with NSF funding in 2018 with the goal of refining traditional satellite-derived bathymetry technology to extend its application into areas where it had not typically been successful, usually due to the turbidity or clarity of the water column. TCarta developed the new method using machine learning to iteratively evaluate Sentinel 2A/B multispectral satellite images, and even individual pixels within images, to select the sharpest and clearest ones for application of SDB extraction.
“Thanks to the power and speed of cloud computing, we run the extraction algorithm repeatedly and on multiple satellite images acquired over the same geographic area on different dates. This dramatically increased the accuracy confidence in each depth measurement and minimizes data gaps,” Goodrich said.
To further enhance the accuracy of the SDB measurements, TCarta developed an artificial intelligence-based technique for leveraging ICESat-2 data to train the SDB algorithm and validate results. Designed for polar ice elevation and tree canopy measurements, the ICESat-2 satellite carries a laser that captures remarkably accurate bathymetric data, the company said.
TCarta Marine is a global provider of hydrospatial solutions. The TCarta product lines include high-resolution satellite-derived water depth and seafloor map products as well as 90- and 30-meter GIS-ready bathymetric data aggregated from numerous information sources.
Advances in geospatial technology have opened up many new possibilities in areas such as national security, urban planning and emergency preparedness. When I was embedded with the U.S. Army as a scientist in Afghanistan, I got to experience firsthand the exceptional value of 3D data. The military used nation-scale imagery and lidar to generate 3D maps that then informed their safety-critical operations. However, since lidar—like most three-dimensional unstructured data—contains incredible complexity and detail, it was painfully slow to analyze manually.
As a result, the impact of this technology was severely restricted by speed and cost due to the significant manual effort required to extract actionable insights. As we looked to the future, where lidar would become commonplace in consumer electronics and automobiles, it became clear that there was an opportunity to combine computer vision/AI with large-scale cloud computing to rapidly and automatically generate actionable insights from 3D data.
Screenshot: Enview
After returning from Afghanistan, I reconnected with Krassimir Piperkov, a former colleague from ICON Aircraft, and fellow Stanford alum, to launch Enview. Our objective was to automate 3D geospatial analytics and create a living 3D model of the world to help organizations to protect their critical infrastructure and communities.
Powering geospatial data with AI can take the limits off 3D data analytics, prevent threats from becoming incidents, and protect critical infrastructure. What used to take days or months to process can now be done in minutes, enabling analysts, operators, and decision-makers across the public sector to make timely and accurate decisions. By enhancing our understanding of the physical world, this technology empowers us to tackle pressing challenges like wildfire prevention, humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and more.
Let’s take a look at how AI-powered 3D modeling is being put to use.
Digital twins
A living 3D model of the world, or a digital twin, can be used for many purposes. Enview’s software fuses many different data sets together to create digital twins that are global in scale but have high-resolution to enable local decision-making. These digital twins include 3D terrain, vegetation, buildings, and infrastructure such as power lines, roads, and water works. Enview also fuses real-time and forecasted conditions, such as wind, temperature, humidity, traffic, and IoT (internet of things).
This sort of rich representation of the physical world is an incredibly complex big data challenge. Data comes from radically different sensor modalities, with different resolutions, formats, time-domains, and accuracy. AI plays a critical role in automating the fusion of these datasets, by helping to intelligently align and then fuse them into a cohesive entity. 3D geospatial data is particularly challenging, as it is unstructured data, which requires a new generation of deep learning frameworks whose convolutional kernels are specifically developed from the ground up to work on unstructured data. Further, the datasets are massive in scale. A square-mile of 3D lidar data can have hundreds of millions of points; the magnitude of the data easily passes the petabyte scale when one considers applications that span nation-scale areas. In order to process this volume of data, modern geospatial AI architectures must be containerized and dynamically deployable across cloud compute resources to generate timely insights.
AI is essential to help human experts to extract meaningful insight from this overabundance of data. The application of automated workflows allows experts to look at larger areas, with more speed and higher frequencies. This machine-assisted cognition draws upon the respective strengths of people and computers to do what neither could do on their own.
Humanitarian aid and disaster relief
3D models can be built to monitor hurricane hotspots, such as the Gulf Coast, before major storms strike. By layering in real-time weather information such as rainfall, winds, and flooding, these models can help with planning, emergency response, and relief efforts.
This data also provides life-saving insight that can assess damage to buildings, transportation, and downed power lines, in addition to determining where to send medical and relief supplies, and how to best get them there. 3D data can help to lessen the impact of future weather events by updating the baseline understanding of how storms impact coastal communities so they can plan for the future.
Screenshot: Enview
Infrastructure protection
Inadequate clearances between vegetation and power lines can result in wildfires and unplanned power outages. Many federal, state, and local regulations are in place to mandate clearances, and power line operators monitor their networks continuously to ensure that they abide by these regulations and prevent incidents and outages. However, doing so by walking or flying the lines and judging distances with the human eye is challenging and inaccurate.
The ability to identify the exact location and clearances of high-risk vegetation early, and at scale, lets operators identify, prioritize, and address problem areas proactively. Lidar-driven programs have helped with risk-reduction, but are constrained by the massive levels of manual data manipulation required to derive insights from this 3D data. The automation of 3D geospatial analytics through AI, machine vision, and parallel computing enables the accurate and rapid identification of at-risk areas, protecting critical infrastructure and communities.
Screenshot: Enview
Fighting wildfires
Devastating wildfires resulting in the loss of life and property have become commonplace in the western U.S. and other parts of the world. The tools and methods previously relied on to keep communities and infrastructure safe are now struggling to keep up with this increased threat.
Geospatial information, including 3D data, provides a digital view of the physical world and, when paired with AI, gives stakeholders the informational edge they need to minimize wildfire damage, injuries, and deaths. This technology can be used to automatically build and update real-time, high-resolution wildfire risk maps that give firefighters and communities more notice when threats are imminent, and provide firefighters with real-time situational awareness when they’re fighting the blazes.
Change detection
According to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHSMA), third-party excavations are one of the leading causes of pipeline incidents in the U.S. These incidents can lead to service disruptions, expensive repairs, and sometimes serious injuries or deaths.
Detecting signs of excavation or earth movement via aerial patrolling is challenging and costly, while resource limitations make it difficult for pipeline operators to continuously monitor remote areas such as farms. AI-powered 3D maps can be used to monitor topography and accurately detect changes that threaten pipelines in real time.
3D data provides remarkable value when it comes to decision-making as it relates to many different applications—from military defense to protecting neighborhoods from wildfires. However, its success hinges on one thing: speed. The ability to process 3D geospatial data rapidly, and at scale, is made possible through advances in AI and cloud computing. In the future, we can expect to see more exciting and innovative use cases for AI-powered geospatial technology.
San Gunawardana is co-founder and CEO of Enview, a geospatial analytics company. After finishing a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering at Stanford, Gunawardana went to Afghanistan, where he combined data analytics and remote sensing to detect threats and prevent incidents. He is excited to apply those insights to help the energy sector solve problems. He has done computer vision at NASA, built imaging satellites with the Air Force, and was an early employee at ICON Aircraft.
